All praises and thanks be to Allah SWT. Abundant salutations be upon His beloved Messenger SAW.

Why me?⁣⁣

People usually ask that when something bad happens to them, but this was the most blessed thing anyone could ask for. ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

I couldn’t accept the fact that Allah chose me. Why me? Why not my brother with the impressive memory?⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

“Rather, it [the Qur’an] is distinct verses [preserved] in the chests of those who have been given knowledge…” (Qur’an, 29:49)⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

Allah says they have been *given* knowledge. Which means He granted me this gift; so I should appreciate it. ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

It was not, however, handed to me on a silver platter. It was actually the most difficult thing I’ve done. I couldn’t even imagine completing and knowing the whole Qur’an at once. It seemed impossible. ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

But I went to hifdh school day in, day out. I begged Him to get me though each and every day. I implored Him for sincerity constantly. ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

“Then we caused to inherit the Book those We have chosen of Our servants…” (Qur’an, 35:32).⁣⁣⁣⁣

Alhamdulillah. ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

May Allah SWT accept from me and you, and make us true people of the Qur’an, so that on the day it is said to us “Recite and ascend, and recite as you used to recite in the [previous] world…” we will be able to do so effortlessly🤲🏻 Āmīn⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

Bismillāhir-Rahmānir-Raheem. In the Name of Allāh, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful. All praise and thanks are due to Allāh (SWT), who blessed us with the Glorious Qur’ān. Abundant salutations be upon our beloved teacher and role model, the first haafidh, Nabi Muhammad (SAW).

One of my blog followers from Bangladesh asked me a question about hifdh and salaah. I was looking for the following hadith:

Regarding the salaah: The Prophet Muhammad said, “When the Companion of the Qur’ān performs Salah, reciting it by night and day, he retains it and if he doesn’t [use it in] Salah he forgets.”

Source: Silsilah Ahadeeth as-Saheehah no. صحيح – 597 [Sahih]

when I came across this on Islam Q & A and I couldn’t stop myself from sharing it. It is a reminder to myself first!

Undoubtedly forgetfulness is something that is natural in man, and man is only called insaan because of his forgetfulness (nasiy). Usually this varies from one person to another, according to the differences in the strength of the memory that Allaah has created in His slaves.

The Qur’aan “escapes” from the heart if the Muslim does not constantly and regularly review what he has memorized of it.

The reason for this may be that it is a test of people’s hearts, to show the difference between the one whose heart is attached to the Qur’aan and regularly recites it, and the one whose heart is attached to it only whilst memorizing it, then he loses interest and forgets it.

The reason may also be to give the Muslim a stronger motive to recite the Qur’aan more frequently so as to attain the immense reward for every letter that he recites. If it were the case that he could learn it and never forget it, he would not need to read it frequently and then he would miss out on the reward for reciting and reviewing it regularly. Fear of forgetting it will make you keen to recite it so as to gain more reward with your Lord. For every letter you recite you will have one hasanah, and the reward for one hasanah is ten like it.

The Messenger SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) urged us to read Qur’aan regularly lest we forget it. He warned us against being negligent in this regard, as was stated in numerous ahaadeeth, including the following:

1- The hadeeth narrated by al-Bukhaari from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him), that the Messenger of Allaah SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The likeness of the one who memorizes the Qur’aan is that of the owner of a hobbled camel. If he tends to it regularly, he will keep it, but if he lets it go, he will lose it.” (al-Bukhaari, 5031).

It is well known that if a camel escapes and runs away, it cannot be recaptured except with a lot of stress and difficulty. Similarly, if the person who memorizes Qur’aan does not regularly review what he has memorized, he will lose it and will require a great deal of effort to get it back.

* Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said in al-Fath (9/79), in his commentary on this hadeeth: so long as one constantly reviews it, what one has memorized will remain, as is the case with a camel, if it remains hobbled, you will keep it. The camel was singled out here because it is the most likely of domesticated animals to run away, and if it does run away, recapturing it is very difficult.

2 – Muslim narrated in his Saheeh (no. 790 and 791) from Abu Moosa (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Read this Qur’aan regularly for, by the One in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, it is more likely to escape than a hobbled camel.”

3 – Al-Bukhaari (may Allaah have mercy on him) narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah said: the Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “It is not right for any one of you to say, ‘I have forgotten such and such.’ On the contrary, he has been made to forget. Try to review the Qur’aan, for it is more likely to escape from men’s hearts than camels.” (Saheeh al-Bukhaari, 5032).

Al-Haafiz said in al-Fath (9/81): Ibn Battaal said, This hadeeth is in accordance with the two aayahs (interpretation of the meanings):

‘Verily, We shall send down to you a weighty Word’ [al-Muzzammil 73:5]

and

‘And We have indeed made the Qur’ân easy to understand and remember’ [al-Najm 54:17]

So whoever strives to memorize it and recite it regularly, it will be made easy for him, and whoever turns away from it, will lose it.

This is what encourages us to constantly review what we have memorized and to keep on reciting it, lest we forget it. The Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Alalah be upon him) gave this example because it is the best way to explain what he meant. He also confirmed it with his oath ‘by the One in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad’, to affirm the importance of constantly reciting the Qur’aan and reviewing what one has learned.

3 – With regard to the report that Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: the Messenger of Allaah SAWS (peace and blessings of Alalah be upon him) said: “The sins of my ummah were shown to me and there is no sin greater than that of a man who was given or was helped to memorize a soorah or an aayah of the Qur’aan and then he forgot it.” This is a weak (da’eef) hadeeth which was classed as such by al-Bukhaari and al-Tirmidhi. See Takhreej Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh by al-Albaani, no. 720.

The Salaf were always afraid of forgetting Qur’aan after they had memorized it, because this was a shortcoming.

Al-Suyooti said in al-Itqaan (1/106):

Forgetting it is a major sin, as was stated by al-Nawawi in al-Rawdah and others, because of the hadeeth “I was shown the sins of my ummah…”

One of the best ways to help oneself to remember what one has memorized and to make it firmly-entrenched is to recite it in one’s salaah, especially in Qiyaam al-Layl. The Salaf used to recite it during the day and when praying Qiyaam al-Layl.

If you strive heard to review the Qur’aan regularly, there will be no sin on you even if you do forget some of it. The blame is on those who neglect it and fail to review it and read it regularly. We ask Allaah to forgive us.

O Allaah, make the Qur’aan the life of my heart, the light of my breast, a departure for my sorrow and a release for my anxiety. O Allaah, teach us from it that which we do not know and remind us from it of that which we have forgotten, for You are the All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

BismillāhAll praise and thanks are due to Allāh (SWT), who blessed us with the Glorious Qur’ān. Abundant salutations be upon our beloved teacher and role model, the first haafidh, Nabi Muhammad (SAW).

I hate holidays! Okay maybe “hate” is too strong a word. Who hates holidays?! It’s just that holidays are truly a test of self-discipline. I just want to read #dearfuturehusband quotes all day, but I’ve got reciting, academic readings and studying to do. I tend to waste a lot of time (embarrassed face). Astaghfirullah.

That’s why I decided to host my hifdh workshop this holiday. I chose a random date and put the word out, and then started preparing days later. That’s just how I roll. And I won’t apologise for it.

It’s a bit of a daunting task. There are so many videos, blog posts and hifdh guides to sift through. There is that hifdh workshop I attended as well, which I’d like to share, but I don’t want to copy anyone’s work. Blogging myself for the past year is definitely part of my prep, ’cause I’d like to share my journey. That way I definitely won’t be copying anyone’s work or sharing stuff that people can read on their own.

I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time now, and I’m looking forward to it in-sha-Allah. So if you’re in Cape Town and are a hifdh student, a prospective student or a mom of a student, then please come over and meet me in-sha-Allah! (Sisters-Only).

BismillāhAll praise and thanks are due to Allāh (SWT), who blessed us with the Glorious Qur’ān. Abundant salutations be upon our beloved teacher and role model, the first haafidh, Nabi Muhammad (SAW).

Today I was blessed to have conducted Session Two of my ongoing hifdh workshop, Alhamdulillah.

I honestly had no idea what I was going to present, but as I drove there, I said, “Allah, I have no idea what I’m going to speak about, but You do,” and I asked Allah to guide my words. All I knew was that I was going to learn from the last session and focus on one topic.

I brought along a book called “The Power of Your Subconscious Mind” by Dr. Joseph Murphy. It was already flagged at a story of a boy who was failing school and wanted to drop out, when the author helped him turn his life around by using the power of his subconscious mind.

So I first did a quick recap of my last session, to see whether the students remembered anything. Some points mentioned were:

“Why?” – Reasons for memorising the Qur’an

Ingredients for success: sincerity, humility, right action

A way to develop sincerity: Saying, “Oh Allah, this is for You” and “Oh Allah, accept from me”

Then I moved along and started with speaking about the subconscious mind and I read and explained the story from the book.

I also told them the story of how Jim Carrey went from being a nobody to being rich and famous, by using the power of the subconscious mind.

We did some practical excercises like an affirmation we did was to say, “I am a haafidha” and a visualisation of their hifdh completion ceremony.

I ended off with the incredible story of Muhammad, who memorised the Qur’an in 50 days, subhanAllah! I had everyone contribute what lessons were learned from the story. Things like intention, sacrifice and effort.

The girls came to realise that they had negative mindsets and they need change them into positive ones, in order to help them succeed. If I could change just one thing about my own hifdh journey, it would definitely be to constantly have a positive mindset.

If you’d like more tips to stay on track, tools to keep motivated or be mentored along your hifdh journey, you’re most welcome to contact me.

All praise and thanks are due to Allāh (SWT), who blessed us with the Glorious Qur’ān. Abundant salutations be upon our beloved teacher and role model, the first haafidh, Nabi Muhammad (SAW).

Living in Cape Town, we get to be tourists in our own city, subhanAllah! My holiday started the day after my tamat (hifdh graduation) and apart from my ‘umrah journey a while ago, I had the most amazing holiday everrr, Alhamdulillah! For the past three years I was in and out of mild depression and dreading going back to school after every holiday, so this year was different. I came alive. Iam back. I’m told there’s a brightness in my face that wasn’t there before and I feel like there’s a spring in my step. I capture this holiday of mine in this post for myself to look back on in years to come, and to show that being a haafidha isn’t boring and doesn’t mean that you have to be in-doors reciting all day. My intention is not to show off in any way and I humbly ask of you that you don’t feel even a tinge of jealousy, but have good feelings towards me, and maybe even spare a du’a for me – I promise the angels will make du’a right back for you! In no particular order, here goes:

Hifdh Mentoring

The point that I’m at now feels like the moment Allah (SWT) speaks to Musa (A.S.), when, after He tells him his life story, He says, “And I have prepared/produced you for Myself.” (Qur’an, 20:41). I feel like I’m fulfilling my purpose through this and what could feel better than that? (Apart from feeling close to Allah through other ‘ibaadah of course.) Read more about my first session in my blog post.

Meeting my potential Mister

Day one of my holiday (or holidays?) started with an anticipated meeting with a potential mister. (We had waited months for various reasons.) Meeting for marriage the right way actually isn’t uncomfortable and awkward as some might think – maybe we were just lucky, or blessed; what do you think? Whether he’s The One, Allahu A’lam, but it was a really enjoyable evening getting to know him for the sake of Allah, Alhamdulillah.

for those who are lost, these are conjuctions that only make sense when paired together.

Just clarifying, there was no proposal but this is spot on!

Being featured on VOC

I am intending to host a show some time this year in-sha-Allah, but in the mean time I got an opportunity to be featured on Evening Live on VOC, 91.3fm. It was so much fun. I love being live on radio. I enjoy the spontaneity of the impromptu questions. I hope to post the recordings in future.

Breakfast on the Beach

Some of my friends and I were planning on going to Muizenberg beach but I overslept (embarrassed face), so it was too late to go but we ended up having our brekkie on Sea Point beach instead.

Babysitting

Babysitting Mlm. R and Ml. K’s three gorgeous girls (ma-sha-Allah) is so much fun! Aged one, two and three, they can be a handful at times, but I’d do it for free any day. After swimming, jumping on the trampoline and playing on the jungle gym, I’m exhausted when I come home, but full of grattitude. Grateful for the life that I lead, that I don’t (yet) have those responsibilities, for the opportunity to help out my Mu’allimah, for her family and her life that I get to be a small part of, for my health and fitness (barely) and whatever else I can think of. Alhamdulillah.

Their pretend jungle gym

Mingling with monkeys

I spent the last day of last year at the World of Birds. We went specifically to visit the “Monkey Jungle.” Those monkeys were so adorable I wish I could adopt one!

Kirstenbosch Gardens with my MSA sisters

What a beautiful afternoon it was! I was running late (embarrassed face, again!) so we went later than planned and got there on the waqt of Dhuhr. We made salaah in such pure tranquility – we wish every salaah could feel like that. Catching up with the girls was memorable.

Hiking!!!

Freshly made coffee and jaffles at the waterfall in Cecilia Forest with awesome company – need I say more?!

The full-moon, after Fajr hike up Lion’s Head was another memorable experience, Alhamdulillah.

Did you know – it’s sunnah to say Allahu Akbar while ascending and subhanAllah when descending?

Swimming!!!!!!

There’s something about swimming that I can’t even try to explain. Being enveloped by the water, I swim without thinking about it; my mind filled with different thoughts. I make dhikr in-between as well. I went every Tuesday except one, when I went cherry picking with my family (which wasn’t all exciting unfortunately but the cherries were delish). I’m grateful for the ladies-only time slot. I can only go in my holidays so I always make the most of it! For me, swimming needs to be in a 25m pool, otherwise it’s just splashing around. My dream mahr (dowry) would be my own 25m pool with just 2 lanes.

Splashing Around and Chilling

This is just a splash pool but it was needed on that hot day nonetheless. I spent the day with my older sisters – friends I made when I first started studying deen. Those friends are truly friends for life, even if I don’t often see or speak to them. All of my friends are older than me and almost always have been in the past as well.

Meeting my three R’s

I went to visit one of my first tajweed teachers, Haafidha R, then met up with the inspiring Mu’allimah R – a mother seven amazing children, ma-sha-Allah and later visited Aunty R, one of my mother’s friends who is on a different path but who has touched my life. It was an incredibly inspiration-filled day and I felt a deep-found contentment at the end of it. I’m blessed to have so many amazing women in my life, Alhamdulillah.

Catching up with friends

I met up with absolutely ALL of my friends. I went to their houses or we went out for lunch. I try to remember to make the intention that it’s for His sake, so that the time spent may be blessed and rewarded, in-sha-Allah.

All praise and thanks are due to Allāh (SWT), who blessed us with the Glorious Qur’ān. Abundant salutations be upon our beloved teacher and role model, the first haafidh, Nabi Muhammad (SAW).

I’m priviliged to have advice at my fingertips from Muhammed Sheik, the winner of the South African National Qur’an Competition, which took place in August this year. Of course I had my ustadh to advise me, but it was comforting knowing that he recently went through what I was about to experience, and excelled, ma-sha-Allah. The format of my Qur’an exam was similar to his Qur’an competition.

General Advice

Make du’a before and after you recite.

I generally make du’a before I recite but afterwards, I’m falling asleep already and so zoned out that I forget.

Before you recite, ask Allah to send the thawaab of your recitation to all the past, present and future Muslims until the day of Qiyaamah.

SubhanAllah, what an incredibly beautiful intention! Think about all the people who did not or currently don’t have the opportunity that we have to recite and/or memorise the Qur’an. It makes me think of the ayah where Allah (SWT) says, “…Allah is never unjust…” (Qur’an, 4:40). By us making this beautiful intention, others will come on the day of Qiyaamah with just as much thawaab as us in-sha-Allah.

Side note: Being the person I am, and out of fear of falling into bid’ah, I asked him about the ruling on this. He replied that it is permissible according to the majority of the world’s scholars. (There is a difference of opinion though, where the Gulf scholars disapprove).

Mutashābihāt Advice

It’s important to look for other mutashābihāt as soon as you come across the first one. Write them on a page and after you finish practicing your revision for the day, read through the mutashābihāt on your little note page.

NB: Things to know about the mutashābihāt are:

the differences in the two āyāt;

where each one occurs;

the beginning of the next āyah after the mutashābihāt and

how many times it is repeated.

You do not have to go through every single mutashābihāt the way I explained above, rather just those that really confuse you.

I’d reccomend keeping a note book instead of having loose pages. There is also a mutashābihāt Qur’an that you can refer to if you can’t figure out where the other mutashābihāt is.

Correcting Old Mistakes

My dad would make me read it six times minimum – three times looking inside and the remainder in your mind.

I would suggest keep on reading it even ten times, until you’re confident that you won’t forget it again… ever in-sha-Allah.

One of my teachers said I should recite the corrected mistake ten times. I don’t know whether she meant looking in or not, so I would try to recite it both ten times looking in and then ten times without looking.

Advice on Testing

It’s important to keep your eyes fixed on a specific spot while you’re reciting, then you should try and picture where you’re reciting.

Recite abundant salawaat before going for your recital, in-sha-Allah, it will help calm the nerves.

Don’t stress… Allah has blessed you with the Qur’an – reciting it for Him takes away any anxiety or fear.

I usually close my eyes while I’m reciting and most definitely picture where I am reciting.

If you have any hifdh-related questions for him, I’m sure he’d be happy to answer them. I hope you benefit from the advice and spare a du’a for the blessed brother in-sha-Allah.

Update on my hifdh journey: we had a mock tamat (graduation) last week and oh my, it went terrrrrible. I was anxious to the max. I’m not usually nervous for anything, I’ve bunjee-jumped for goodness’ sake! But when it came to the Qur’an, I just couldn’t deal. I think it had a lot to do with not being able to let go and not trusting Allah that the aayaat will flow from me.

So I phoned my unofficial hifdh mentor for some advice. The first thing she stated was: you don’t have control; get over it. She said anxiety is from Shaytaan, and it’s not simply mind over matter – he actually runs in your blood, so seek refuge from him. She said Shaytaan is going to be so angry on the day of your tamat (’cause it means he lost). She told me that Allah has big plans for my life, and I can do this. Everything she said motivated me, Alhamdulillah.

On the school front, my ustadh’s strategy has been to test me on 5 ajzaa every day. I’ve been tested on my first fifteen ajzaa so far and it’s been going okay, Alhamdullilah. He feels a bit relieved. The tamat is an emotional occasion for him too. He said he feels like he’s going to be giving us over to a new life [the way a father gives his daughter away on her wedding]. He’s been a father to me especially. I’ll never forgot the things he’s done for me that made me feel like a cherished daughter, like pulling over to speak to me when he was driving at night, answering my call during his dont-talk-me-I’m watching soccer match and sincerely listening to me complain about my hifdh, every single time (astaghfirullah). He’s seen me cry more times than my parents have (in my adult life). I feel that Allah took away my biological father but finally replaced him with better, Alhamdulillah.

Back to my hifdh update: We’re having another mock tamat (graduation) tomorrow in-sha-Allah, but only on the first fifteen ajzaa. I’m not done revising yet and it doesn’t help that I’m assisting with a bridal shower tomorrow, that I’m excited about. I also have gifts to prepare for my teachers and parents. I’m totally going to share pics of them with you after the tamat ’cause I’m pretty chuffed with what I got. Except that I have no idea what to get my mother. I don’t have a budget so I’m searching the internet for ideas for freebies.

I can’t comprehend that I only have a week left of hifdh school. I just can’t. I felt the same way at the end of Matric (Grade 12). When I finished Matric, I said I didn’t want to experience it again, but my hifdh journey was like going through Matric all over again, Alhamdulillah. I’ve come to accept that Allah chose my school and my teachers for a reason. I just wish I came to accept it a looong time ago. I wish I was grateful. I wish I trusted Allah (s.w.t.) more. I wish I worked harder. How I wish.

Moving on…

I remind myself to be grateful for this incredible opportunity that Allah’s blessed me with, and end off with my most fave Qur’anic du’a ever:

Sheikh Dr. Yayha al-Ghawthany said that the following steps are of utmost importance. They are the most solid thing we learned at his workshop. He said that he discovered this through the mercy of Allah over a number of years and he has tested it on hundreds of people with amazing results.

My personal recommendation: Only attempt this method when you are prepared to memorise; once you can read the page fluently with no mistakes. Be sure to sit up straight.

5 Steps for exceptional, solid and quick memorisation:

Hold the Qur’an high [eye-level] and to your left.

Look at the ayah [or piece you intend to memorise]. Focus.

Take a deep breath [from your diaphragm, not your chest] then read the ayah. (In this way we would have committed it to memory.)

Repeat it from the top of your head twice or more (from your imaginary board)

Join the second ayah to the first. [Repeat above steps].

Note: If you are left-handed, you should hold the Qur’an to your right. This has to do with the way your brain works.

I recommend that in step 3 you read the ayah many times, until it sticks, and in step 4, also repeat it from memory many times.

Yesterday marked precisely 3 months to go until My Big Day, in-sha-Allah. No, not my wedding; but my “tamat”, a Malay word used for the completion of the memorisation of the Qurʾān. At my hifdh school, it’s the term used for our Qurʾān Graduation – the day we get tested on our memorisation and get our certificates to certify that we are “lanja” – another Malay word, meaning that we have consolidated and are fluent in our memorisation.

The prequisite to tamat at my school this year is to recite five ajzaa (pl. of juzz) in one sitting or one session.

Tomorrow I will start reciting two ajzaa in one sitting, and three additional ajzaa in separate sittings, in-sha-Allah. I will then build up to reciting three then four and then the required five ajzaa in one sitting in-sha-Allah.

I used to think this was an impossible task for me, but after attending the course “Innovative ways in Memorising the Glorious Qur’ān” by Sheikh Dr. Yahya Al-Ghawthany, I feel confident that I will be able to achieve it, by the permission and will of Allah Almighty. Below is my daily affirmation card he instructed us to create.

Daily Affirmation Card

Sheikh Dr. Yahya Al-Ghawthany impressed on me that Allah has given me the ability to do it and others have done it, therefore, I can also do it! He explained that Allah created the subconscious mind within us and taught me how to use it to aid me in my hifdh. I highly recommend the book “The Power of Your Subconscious Mind” by Dr. Joseph Murphy.

If you would like to meet up with me or get in touch with me to further discuss the subconscious mind and other tools I learned from Sheikh Yayha, please comment with your contact details and I will get back to you.

I humbly request you to make du’a that Allah grants me to achieve my goals and to keep the Qurʾān firm in all of our hearts. May He grant every letter we recite to be a means of guidance, light and healing in this world and intercession in the next. Ameen!

Oh Allah, make the Noble Qur'an the spring of our hearts, the light of my breast, and a departure for my sorrow and a release for my anxiety.

By His Rahmah, Allah (s.w.t.) has chosen another, not one, but two of His slaves to complete the memorisation of the Glorious Qur’ān.

Anas (ra) reported that the Prophet (saw) said, “Verily, Allah has chosen people amongst mankind. The People of the Qur’an – they are the People of Allah, and His Chosen ones.” [An-Nasa’i]

Sometimes I wonder why Allah chooses some people over others. I learned today that Allah truly is the Most Wise. Before today, I wouldn’t have considered the two new haafidhaat amongst my role models, but after the speeches made by them and about them, I am humbled.

Although they may not meet my expectations of haafidhaat where character is concerned, their level of memorisation is outstanding, ma-sha-Allah. The day they completed they knew their entire Qurʾān solidly, which is very rare. Their incredibly hard work and their parents’ and teachers’ efforts have paid off, Alhamdulillah.

With regards to living the Qurʾān, I have to understand that they are young and they have the rest of their lives to grow, mature and be guided, in-sha-Allah. The Qurʾān is only their foundation and the rest is yet to be built. I’d love to meet them in twenty year’s time and see what they blossom into. I make du’a that Allah guides them and protects them and us throughout our lives. Ameen.

One of the speakers said words to the effect that their hifdh school makes a big deal out of its students completing, because it is a big deal.

And a big deal it is. Memorising the entire Qurʾān is no easy feat. It takes dedication, effort, patience, peserverance, diligence and resilience.
A distinguishing attribute of today’s haafidhaat is that they follow routines. “The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine.” -Mike Murdock.

One of the mothers said in her speech that she never had to tell her daughter to sit with her Qur’ān.

Furthermore, I found her most touching words to be that her daughter was gifted to her to guide her. She had her daughter out of wedlock and initially wanted to abort her. Her daughter ended up being her best friend and source of guidance. She can’t recite but she would research the tafseer of her daughter’s lesson to help her. SubhanAllah. I look forward to being a mother some day and going through this journey with my daughter in-sha-Allah.

Today brought back memories of my completion. It was like finishing all over again. Beautiful.

I hope that what I witnessed today and shared with you inspires us to strive to be of the special people of Allah. I ask Him to soften our hearts and grant us steadfastness. Ameen.

I leave you with the message from both of our new haafidhaat: “Work hard and don’t give up, because it’s worth it in the end.”